Method and system for selective email acceptance via encoded email identifiers
First Claim
1. A method for processing email messages, the method comprising:
- receiving an email message comprising a destination email address and a source email address;
retrieving a local-part portion of the destination email address;
retrieving a local mailbox identifier from the local-part portion of the destination email address;
identifying an email acceptance criterion as a validity date in the set of email acceptance parameter values;
determining that a date value that is associated with the email message is less than or equal to the validity date; and
in response to a determination that one or more characteristics of the email message satisfy one or more email acceptance criteria that are encoded within the local-part portion of the destination address, delivering the email message in accordance with the local mailbox identifier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for providing a user with the ability to limit the receipt of unwanted email messages. An encoded email identifier is generated by combining the user'"'"'s local mailbox identifier along with encoded email acceptance parameter values that represent email acceptance criteria. The encoded email identifier is then used as the local-part portion of an email address in place of the user'"'"'s local mailbox identifier. After receiving an incoming email message in which the encoded email identifier is a portion of the destination address of the incoming email message, an email server delivers the email message in accordance with the local mailbox identifier that is embedded in the encoded email identifier in response to a determination that one or more characteristics of the email message satisfy one or more email acceptance criteria that are encoded within the encoded email identifier.
18 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for processing email messages, the method comprising:
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receiving an email message comprising a destination email address and a source email address; retrieving a local-part portion of the destination email address; retrieving a local mailbox identifier from the local-part portion of the destination email address; identifying an email acceptance criterion as a validity date in the set of email acceptance parameter values; determining that a date value that is associated with the email message is less than or equal to the validity date; and in response to a determination that one or more characteristics of the email message satisfy one or more email acceptance criteria that are encoded within the local-part portion of the destination address, delivering the email message in accordance with the local mailbox identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for generating an email address, the method comprising:
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obtaining a first email address; retrieving a mailbox identifier from a local-part portion of the first email address; encoding a set of email acceptance parameter values to generate a set of one or more encoded values; combining the set of one or more encoded values with the mailbox identifier to generate a character string; retrieving a domain identifier from a domain portion of the first email address; and appending the domain identifier to the character string to form a second email address, wherein the set of email acceptance parameter values indicate one or more criteria to be satisfied prior to delivery of an email message that indicates the second email address as a destination email address. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for processing email messages, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving an email message comprising a destination email address and a source email address; means for retrieving a local-part portion of the destination email address; means for retrieving a local mailbox identifier from the local-part portion of the destination email address; means for identifying an email acceptance criterion as a validity date in the set of email acceptance parameter values; means for determining that a date value that is associated with the email message is less than or equal to the validity date; and means for delivering the email message in accordance with the local mailbox identifier in response to a determination that one or more characteristics of the email message satisfy one or more email acceptance criteria that are encoded within the local-part portion of the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for generating an email address, the apparatus comprising:
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means for obtaining a first email address; means for retrieving a mailbox identifier from a local-part portion of the first email address; means for encoding a set of email acceptance parameter values to generate a set of one or more encoded values; means for combining the set of one or more encoded values with the mailbox identifier to generate a character string; means for retrieving a domain identifier from a domain portion of the first email address; and means for appending the domain identifier to the character string to form a second email address, wherein the set of email acceptance parameter values indicate one or more criteria to be satisfied prior to delivery of an email message that indicates the second email address as a destination email address. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer program product on a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for processing email messages, the computer program product comprising:
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means for receiving an email message comprising a destination email address and a source email address; means for retrieving a local-part portion of the destination email address; means for retrieving a local mailbox identifier from the local-part portion of the destination email address; means for identifying an email acceptance criterion as a validity date in the set of email acceptance parameter values; means for determining that a date value that is associated with the email message is less than or equal to the validity date; and means for delivering the email message in accordance with the local mailbox identifier in response to a determination that one or more characteristics of the email message satisfy one or more email acceptance criteria that are encoded within the local-part portion of the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer program product on a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a data processing system for generating an email address, the computer program product comprising:
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means for obtaining a first email address; means for retrieving a mailbox identifier from a local-part portion of the first email address; means for encoding a set of email acceptance parameter values to generate a set of one or more encoded values; means for combining the set of one or more encoded values with the mailbox identifier to generate a character string; means for retrieving a domain identifier from a domain portion of the first email address; and means for appending the domain identifier to the character string to form a second email address, wherein the set of email acceptance parameter values indicate one or more criteria to be satisfied prior to delivery of an email message that indicates the second email address as a destination email address. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer program product for processing email messages comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:
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receiving an email message comprising a destination email address and a source email address; retrieving a local-part portion of the destination email address; retrieving a local mailbox identifier from the local-part portion of the destination email address; identifying an email acceptance criterion as a validity date in the set of email acceptance parameter values; determining that a date value that is associated with the email message is less than or equal to the validity date; and delivering the email message in accordance with the local mailbox identifier in response to a determination that one or more characteristics of the email message satisfy one or more email acceptance criteria that are encoded within the local-part portion of the destination address. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A computer program product for generating an email address comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:
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obtaining a first email address; retrieving a mailbox identifier from a local-part portion of the first email address; encoding a set of email acceptance parameter values to generate a set of one or more encoded values; combining the set of one or more encoded values with the mailbox identifier to generate a character string; retrieving a domain identifier from a domain portion of the first email address; and appending the domain identifier to the character string to form a second email address, wherein the set of email acceptance parameter values indicate one or more criteria to be satisfied prior to delivery of an email message that indicates the second email address as a destination email address. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification